Hi Ron,
Thanks for the chat today...I see my thoughts are aligned with some others and Kai seems to have knocked it on the head with stretched abilities...and with the better images here, stretched steel.
The smith could not have picked a harder weapon type with the asymmetrical single edged shape that these are....it seems better control comes from double edged Kris and spear.
After seeing these larger images here, whilst there is a twist to the steel types, but without the control or definition within the outer window of typically non pattern steel, I would place this as a good honest attempt at twist core forging rather than a twist core blade...It just doesn't have the aesthetics or control. The smith may have had many reasons for this pattern, a couple that come time mind is left over twisted rods with not enough metal to do much else that add it too other steel, or perhaps as you thought, an apprentice piece...regardless, it is a note worthy link in Moro blacksmithing and worth further study...perhaps Ric can chime in too?
For your reference, attached is a snap of mine. I uncased it for you today and gave it a scrub and oil...you can see the triple rows, certainly not as crisp as kris and spear and one row falters a little too but she's a genuine twistie Barong...sitting quietly above a cutlass sized curved Kampilan and scabbard.
Gavin
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